Perception
by Number 0 The Fool
Summary: Returning to the village Naruto meets a traveller named Hatchimaru Raigumo who wants to be a ninja. Though sceptical of him at first Naruto will need Hatchimaru's powerful heritage and skills on his team to compete with the fierce compt at the chunin exam


It was a sunny warm summer day with a nice breeze, the kind of perfect day were everything seems like it's going your way. But it wasn't the weather that had Uzumaki Naruto excited. It was the fact that he was finally returning to his home and seeing the people he cared about that excited Naruto.

"Hey Ero-sennin how long till we get there?" asked Naruto his voice full of enthusiasm.

Jiraiya sighed at his student's impatience "Naruto were still about half a day away from the village, that's why we left early so that we'd arrive around noon".

"Aw man" whined Naruto. "Well we better, huh?"Naruto's attention was diverted to a traveler walking toward them from the other side of the road. He looked around his age and was about as tall. His brown hair was cut short and kind of flat and neat though it didn't look combed. Naruto thought that the traveler's hair was sort of weird as all the people he ever met had long, messy, spiky, or crazy hair. He appeared to be rather poor as he wore gangly brown clothes that seemed a little too small on his noticeably broad shoulders.

But the most interesting thing about this traveler was his expression, which was just a neutral frown that showed almost no expression not even boredom.

"_Man the way this guy looks, like he doesn't care or feel anything kinda reminds me of Sasuke"_. "_Sasuke I wonder where you are right now? It doesn't matter though because I will friend you and save you from Orochima-_

Naruto's internal monologue was cut short by the traveler run in front of them with his neutral look replaced by an expression of excitement.

"Are you Jiraiya sanin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves?"

"_Oh God I hope this isn't one of my illegitimate children again". _"I am" replied Jiraiyacautiously.

"My name is Hatchimaru Raigumo, and I beseech you Jiraiya-sama please take me to or at least show me where I could find the Hidden Leaf Village".

"_That's a somewhat unusual request, but at least he's not one of my kids. They'd never call me Jiraiya-sama and he hasn't asked me why I left his mother or for money yet" _thought Jiraiya but before he could inquire more about the strange boy Naruto butted in.

"Hey whys your name backwards?" Naruto asked innocently.

"What?"

"Yeah you know, shouldn't your name be Raigumo Hatchimaru instead you got your name backwards" Naruto pointed out.

"I suppose it would be by your culture but I like the way my name sounds with my family name last" replied Hatchimaru. "_I can already tell that this guys annoying what a random thing to say, if he wasn't clearly Jiraiya's pupil I'd tell him what I think of his opinion of name placement!"_

"Why do you even want to be a ninja in the first place Hatchimaru?" asked Jiraiya breaking the conversation between the two teenagers. "_This better not be another angsty kid who wants the power of a ninja for revenge"._

"I want to join Konoha for two reasons to get some structure in my life and to gain power" replied Hatchimaru forcefully.

"_I knew it, here comes the depressing back story". _"Why do you want power Hatchimaru?"

"Merely for the sake of having it and so that if I encounter obstacles in my live or things I need to protect I can do so" was Hatchimaru's determined reply.

"Hatchimaru revenge isn't the answer you should just move on, wait what?" said a confused Jiraiya.

"In my humble opinion Jiraiya-sama revenge is pretty worthless endeavor and I've never felt the urge to pursue it" said Hatchimaru in a sincere voice.

"_Okay scratch that he doesn't remind me of Sasuke at all" _thought Naruto.

"And Jiraiya-sama I have a letter of recommendation" Hatchimaru then pulled out an orange envelope and handed it to Jiraiya.

"There's no mistaking it this envelope has the seal of the fourth Hokage it and even if it is a letter of recommendation what make you think you have what it takes to be a ninja of the Leaf?" said Jiraiya in a rare serious voice.

"Will Jiraiya-sama let me prove myself?"

"What do you have in mind?" asked Jiraiya.

"I will defeat your student" replied Hatchimaru simply.

"You think you have what it takes to beat me!" yelled Naruto.

"If Jiraiya-sama will teach me only one ninja technique whether it be an offensive, defensive, or concealment technique. I could defiantly defeat you in a fight" said Hatchimaru with his index figure out to emphasize his point.

"You're on!" said Naruto angrily.

_Sigh_ "alright Hatchimaru I'll give you about a week to master a technique then you can have a _nonlethal_ fight with Naruto and if you beat him-

"Like that could ever happen" muttered Naruto under his breath.

I'll let you talk to the Hokage about joining the village" explained Jiraiya.

"Sounds good but Naruto can't watch our training it would be unfair for him to have intell on me when I know nothing about his fighting style" said Hatchimaru.

"Alright I wouldn't want you to have an excuse for me beating you" boasted Naruto.

"_This will be an interesting week"_ thought Jiraiya.


End file.
